Last week’s Poll: With not enough people entering engineering, which statement do you most agree?

9th February 201611:26 am16th March 201612:47 pm

The engineering sector is in relatively good health but is still struggling to attract fresh talent, a factor that threatens to undermine the profession.

This is the conclusion of EngineeringUK’s State of Engineering report, which warns the Britain will fall behind countries such as Germany and South Korea if it fails to plug the skills gap.

But why aren’t enough people becoming engineers? We asked this question in our weekly poll and found that over half (52%) thought that the status of engineering is too low. Exactly a quarter of respondents thought industry should engage with schools, whilst 14% thought teachers were not doing enough to make engineering attractive. Of the remaining 9%, 2% agreed that engineers complain too much, and 7% thought other factors are at play when ticking the “None of the above’ option.

This type of survey has been done many times, and the results are very similar. Given that this probably suggests the perceived status of engineering is too low, what are we collectively going to do about it ?

You should consider that just because your poll suggests the status of engineering is low does not make it true. If your readership comprises mostly engineers, then your poll merely suggests this is the opinion of engineers. If you asked those who chose not to enter engineering you may get a better understanding of why this could be so.

“will fall behind countries such as Germany and South Korea ” why stop at these two!
As long as jumped-up clerks masquarading as professionals have control (and they certainly do now in our nation, unlike those who counted the numbers, or argued over ‘land’ for our Victorian ancestors, but who were never allowed near any decisions) they will exercise it.

We have a tendency to want to put an academic approved number on why people do something, rather than going back to square one and accept that individual interests are the best motive.
We have had over 40 years of academia pushing our children into careers that make them the most tuition.
These children are now in the work force and dissatisfied with where they are, they did not become engaged with their assignment.
Every ten years they’re changing jobs, and demanding they get a participation trophy – early and earlier retirement – and then they finally do what was first in their heart.
No problem can be rectified by putting a quota on it.
Having the brain capacity to do something is not the same as having the passion to do something.
When there is low passion in a particular discipline / industry, the government regulations try to control the disengagement as it escalates.

I think that teachers do not give it enough credit. If I was told about all the options that engineering open (not just the job prospective but the many industries) I would have considered taking this in college.

Not many colleges promote engineer therefore I believe there should be a higher selling point to show engineering is the way forward!

My personal view is that all of the above are issues. And there isn’t a simple answer to fix it. Engineering has a poor status due to the term engineer being used for many types of role, and some of those are not attractive. Teachers generally know little about engineering, but why would they, they didn’t study engineering in school and may have dropped any kind of technical subject after GCSEs and had very little to do with these areas for many years. Businesses could do more, but not every engineer is going to be an inspiration to young people about becoming engineers so it can sometimes do more damage. And sending one engineer into a school once for an hour is not going to change years of stereotypes and opinions of the young people or their influencers. It is a complex issue that if genuinely seen to be a major concern for the UK requires strategic and combined measures put in place to make the necessary changes.

Engineering is a completely different animal since i started as an apprentice with a Diesel Engine manufacturer in the 70s
While i believe that the status of engineering jobs has probably improved a lot since the 70s it is still not seen as an attractive career for school leavers in relation to other more attractive and better paid jobs.
Schools and Teachers must engage with industry with show school leavers what opportunities there are in the engineering sector otherwise the skills shortage will damage the UK position as a world leader in many areas of the engineering sector
finally as regards to Germany outstripping us in the engineering sector i work for a German company in the UK and my work colleagues tell me that there are serious issues for German students who have qualified in an engineering discipline finding decent well paid jobs?

Passion is the greatest motivator -Chuck’s comment is the key! Well said.
Might I offer a story supposedly true. It involves the building of Coventry Cathedral in the 50s
the Bishop arrived to view progress. he asks one guy…
“What are you making?” Answer: “About £40 a week!”
He asks another the same question
“I’m making the top of a gismo, which will hold up a trunion and support the girdle arm”
There has to be a third to cap these two.
“What are you making?”
“I’m helping to build a great Cathedral”

Engineering simply isn’t respected in the UK and with its current image is unlikely to improve. It has been this way for 50 plus years. It is seen as a dead end occupation for people that fix things when they are broken. It is not seen as creative, innovative or progressive. This poor image is only unique to the UK. No other country in the world has this view of engineering. Engineers in UK society are perceived to have low education, are boring, illiterate and an afterthought. The sentiment among the vast majority of the public is that it is much better to be a celebrity, lawyer, accountant, doctor, marketer, banker, musician, chef, even politician etc. Now this will serve to foster the continued decline of the UK economy, quality of life, standard of living as the wealth creation sector (manufacturing) implodes. The evidence is in the national debt, and cuts backs. The UK is broke – utterly broke.
The whole concept of engineering as a university subject gets blank stares. The engineering “profession” is its own worst enemy because they don’t know how to communicate-period. The engineering institutions are ivory tower organizations that in many ways are a racket for the employees to make big salaries while pretending to promote and shape engineering. And industry hasn’t a clue how to market engineering so it is a race to the bottom. It is altogether a sad story as the UK was the great leader of engineering and innovation in the 19th Century but it is now a mere pip squeak in the world of progress and innovation.

My schools were happy to help and encourage me with my Engineering aspirations; my son’s have been the same. Like status and pay there are myths passed along by the bitter failures who drive our profession down.